THE REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA
MEETING AS A COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE
April 13, 2000
The Regents of the University of California met on the above date at the Mission Inn, Riverside.
Present: Regents Davies, Hopkinson, O. Johnson, S. Johnson, Lee, Montoya, Pannor,
Taylor, and Vining
In attendance: Regents-designate Fong and Miura, Faculty Representatives Coleman and
Cowan, Secretary Trivette, General Counsel Holst, Provost King, Chancellor
Orbach, and Recording Secretary Nietfeld
The meeting convened at 8:35 a.m. with Chairman Davies presiding.
1. PUBLIC COMMENT
Chairman Davies explained that the Board had been convened as a Committee of the Whole
in order to permit members of the public an opportunity to address University-related matters
or items on the day=s schedule. The following persons addressed the Board concerning
University-related matters.
A. Mr. José Villasana spoke in support of the efforts of Chancellor Orbach to create
good will toward the community through programs such as the Eastside Project and
the School Safety Prevention Project.
B. Ms. Rita Skinner, Coalition of University Employees, stated that UC Riverside
clerical workers are paid 21 percent less than those in similar positions in the
surrounding communities. As a result, it is difficult to recruit new employees.
C. Mr. Allan Crosthwaite, Coalition of University Employees, stated that CUE is a
grassroots organization that was begun by clerical employees who feel devalued by
their employer, particularly because they have not received a cost-of-living increase
in several years.
D. Mr. Scott Miller, Coalition of University Employees, stated that employees had been
informed that there would be no nondiscrimination provisions in the employment
contract, which will make it difficult for employees to challenge what they perceive
to be discriminatory practices.
E. Ms. Dia Mona and Ms. Kristen Wang, students at the Riverside campus, described
some of the valuable opportunities for community service that are provided by the
campus.
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F. Mr. Carminia Panlilio, a student at the Riverside campus, discussed a paid tutorial
program which involves University students tutoring in the local K-12 schools.
G. Ms. Sophie Harris of the African Students Program spoke in favor of ensuring that
funding for outreach programs is distributed equitably throughout the community.
H. Mr. Vincent Mugata noted that many communities do not have the resources which
are required for their high school students to matriculate successfully into college.
I. Mr. Walter Jansen, Coordinator of the Global Business Information and Technology
Academy at the John W. North High School, spoke in appreciation of the support
provided by Chancellor Orbach and other members of the Riverside campus.
The Regents then walked to the UCR/California Museum of Photography.
2. UNIVERSITY IMPERATIVES FOR THE 21st CENTURY: ATTENDING TO THE
QUALITY OF LIFE THROUGH THE HUMANITIES
Executive Vice Chancellor Warren welcomed the Regents, noting that the theme for the
campus= presentations throughout the day would be Athe quality of life.@
Ms. Patricia O=Brien, dean of the College of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences,
recounted how she had been attracted to the Riverside campus by the excellence of its
humanities center, which she believes to be the best in the UC system. The college is in the
process of developing interdisciplinary programs as well as building partnerships within the
Riverside community.
Professor Emery Elliott, a distinguished professor of English and the Director of the Center
for Ideas and Society, came to the Riverside campus following 17 years at Princeton
University. Professor Elliott suggested that this is the most exciting time to be involved in
higher education. The challenge which he faces as a professor of the humanities is the
change which is resulting from the increased diversity of the student body. The curriculum
must be reshaped in order to engage students based upon their interests, which often do not
relate to a traditional college curriculum. The faculty will need to use new media tools such
as videotapes and photographs to engage students= interests at the beginning of the 21st
century.
Professor Katherine Kinney, associate professor of English, discussed the year-long course
that she developed with funding from the Hewlett Foundation, AThe 1960s and the Vietnam
Era.@ This course was designed to help students of varying cultural backgrounds understand
that period of American history. Her portion of the course focused on understanding the
1960s through film, while her co-teachers from the departments of economics and history
brought the perspectives of their fields to bear on the period.
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Mr. Jonathan Green, director of the UCR/California Museum of Photography, gave a visual
presentation about the museum based on its website. He noted that the museum has become
a major presence on the national and international art scene, with more than 1 million visitors
over the past ten years. An important project of the museum is the digital studio, a
continuing digital arts program which serves artists, students, and community members
seeking digital medial equipment and skills.
3. =
UCR=S MILE OF MIRACLES
The Regents took a bus tour from the UCR/CMP to the campus by way of University
Avenue, also known as the Amile of miracles.@ The tour was narrated by Justice James Ward
and included a videotape which presented details on the various buildings which the bus was
passing. The tour included a brief stop at the Justice Center, which was recently renovated.
Chancellor Orbach drew attention to some of the newest developments, including University
Village and the public safety building. The campus is constructing an athletic facility in
anticipation of its move to Division I.
4. UNIVERSITY IMPERATIVES FOR THE 21st CENTURY: ATTENDING TO THE
QUALITY OF LIFE
The Committee met in the Science Library for a roundtable discussion of the topic AWhose
quality of life is it anyway?@ moderated by Justice Ward. Executive Vice Chancellor
Warren introduced the following members of the Deans Council: Mr. John Azzaretto, Vice
Chancellor, Public Service and International Programs and Dean, University Extension;
Mr. Robert Calfee, Dean of the School of Education; Mr. Michael Clegg, Dean of the
College of Natural and Agricultural Sciences; Mr. Donald Dye, Dean of the A. Gary
Anderson School of Management; Ms. Patricia O=Brien, Dean of the College of Humanities,
Arts, and Social Sciences; Dr. Michael Stemerman, Dean of the Division of Biomedical
Sciences; and Mr. Satish Tripathi, Dean of the Bourns College of Engineering.
Dean Dye informed the Regents that the deans began to meet for dinner on occasion and
discovered that they faced common challenges arising from projected growth both in the UC
system and throughout the inland region. Dean O=Brien continued that, in gathering to
discuss the future of the campus as a whole, the deans began to build a vision of
collaboration between the colleges in order to make the campus grow better as well as bigger.
Dean Clegg observed that the present is a time of both opportunity and volatility. The deans
believe that they must combine their efforts in order to succeed in this environment. There
is a willingness to look at the big picture in a way that was not true in the past.
Justice Ward asked the panelists to address the day=s theme by explaining whose quality of
life was being discussed. Dean Clegg responded that the University improves the quality
COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE -4- April 13, 2000
of life of the people of California by creating new knowledge through research and
transmitting it through teaching and outreach. Dean Dye added that, as the campus strives
to solve the problems of the region, it also contributes fundamentally to the improvement of
society as a whole.
Justice Ward observed that University Extension is often perceived as separate from the
campus and asked Dean Azzaretto to comment on his role as a dean. Mr. Azzaretto noted
that his colleagues recognize that the world is changing and that, in this knowledge-based
economy, there is a need for life-long learning. People turn to extension programs to help
improve the quality of their lives.
Dean Stemerman commented that the biomedical sciences were at the forefront of improving
medical care; the Riverside campus educates future physicians who will raise the quality of
health care in the region.
Dean Calfee observed that schools of education are often not well regarded on university
campuses. This is not the case at Riverside, where he feels himself to be a full member of
the Deans Council.
Dean O=Brien reported that a team of faculty had made the commitment to establish a center
for environmental science and environmental studies in response to the Governor=s initiative
calling for the establishment of such centers in California.
Dean Tripathi stressed the importance of collaboration within the field of engineering, which
draws its expertise from many constituents. Investment in technology should draw new jobs
to the region.
5. B
UCR 2010BVISION AND VALUES
Chancellor Orbach reported that the campus had undertaken a vision process in planning for
the year 2010; the presentation will focus on how the campus intends to create the
infrastructure upon which an intellectual superstructure can be built. Over the coming
decade, the campus anticipates increasing its enrollment of 11,000 to an enrollment of 19,900
students. The campus= vision is to become a world leader in the fusion of teaching and
research excellence in a multicultural environment. The role of the Riverside campus is one
of educational opportunity, quality research at intellectual frontiers, economic development,
and improvement in the quality of life.
Executive Vice Chancellor Warren discussed how faculty will need to be recruited in order
to cope with the dramatic projected increase in student enrollment. Among the campus=
strategies for excellence is a commitment to the academic personnel review process as a tool
for quality. Distribution of the faculty throughout the ranks will have a long-term effect on
the profile of the faculty. Because the University=s three early retirement programs reduced
COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE -5- April 13, 2000
the percentage of full professors, the campus has put into place an effort to hire some very
senior faculty in order to provide academic leadership. The campus has not yet determined
what the long-term balance of the faculty should be. In order to ensure diversity among the
faculty, the focus is at the search committee level. These committees are provided with data
concerning the availability of candidates who reflect the diversity of the student body and of
the state. A final strategy involves the cluster hiring of a group of faculty in order to create
strength in a particular program. Mr. Warren concluded his presentation by noting that the
campus will not be able to meet its recruitment goals without an appropriate infrastructure,
and he called upon Associate Chancellor Bolar for a description of the campus= needs.
Ms. Bolar explained that the campus= resource planning is designed to respond to the
academic and administrative needs of the campus. This approach results in the development
of a multi-year capital investment strategy. All resource planning must contain performance
measures, accountability, and incentives geared to help the campus achieve its objectives.
The campus is in an environment that requires calculated risks and bold decision-making.
The campus has a small operational base to support large and rapid growth. Aging facilities
and capital needs coupled with inadequate capital support put increased pressure on the
campus= operating budget. The campus must invest significant amounts of its revenue to
upgrade its instructional technology. It recognizes the need to expand its extramural funding
sources through increased contracts and grants and public-private partnerships.
Associate Chancellor Bolar discussed the capital improvement program, noting that the
program follows academic and enrollment plans, identifies capital projects needed to support
the University=s mission, and relies upon a priority-setting process. The Riverside campus
has made a decision to maximize State funds by targeting core facilities to support teaching
and research. The focus is on new construction, while the campus pursues other funding
sources for infrastructure, renovation, and equipment. Ms. Bolar presented a series of slides
which depicted the major capital projects in process or under consideration.
Regent-designate Miura asked for a description of how faculty input is taken into
consideration when allocations for faculty positions are made. She noted that the Riverside
campus had been successful in enrolling underrepresented minority students and asked
whether the campus had had similar success in the recruitment of its faculty.
Executive Vice Chancellor Warren explained that the administration consults with the
Academic Senate=s Committee on Planning and Budget on faculty allocations. Each
academic dean is asked to prepare a five-year plan which contains resource requests for a
one-year and three-year period and to present the plan to a committee consisting of the
chancellor, the executive vice chancellor, other administrators, the chair of the Academic
Senate, and the chair of the Committee on Planning and Budget. The Committee on
Planning and Budget prepares its recommendations, which are aligned with the
administration=s tentative decisions. With respect to faculty diversity, Mr. Warren stated that
COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE -6- April 13, 2000
while the faculty does not mirror the student body at present, the campus is working hard to
narrow the gap.
The Regents took a walking tour of the campus and then adjourned for lunch.
6. UNIVERSITY IMPERATIVES FOR THE 21st CENTURY: ATTENDING TO THE
QUALITY OF LIFE THROUGH AN UNDERSTANDING OF OUR ENVIRONMENT
The Committee reconvened in the Entomology Museum for a discussion of the work of the
Center for Exotic Pest Research led by Dean Clegg. The Center is located at the Riverside
campus but operates as a systemwide research entity of the Division of Agriculture and
Natural Resources as a unit of the Integrated Pest Management System. The Center is
seeking funding to establish competitive grants for research on existing, high-priority pest
species and to conduct anticipatory research on pests not yet found in California.
Mr. Ben Drake, a grower in the Temecula Valley, described some of the devastating effects
which pests have on the California economy, costing agriculture an estimated $3 billion
annually. Pierce=s disease threatens the State=s grape industry. The glassy-winged
sharpshooter is the primary insect that vectors Pierce=s disease. If it makes inroads in the
Central Valley, there is nothing to stop its movement into Northern California=s grape-
growing areas. Growers are relying on the Davis and Riverside campuses to provide the
research support for this crisis.
Mr. Timothy Paine, chair of the Department of Entomology, reported that California gets a
new exotic pest every sixty days. In the past, the focus was on studying one pest at a time.
The science of invasive biology is a new one that looks for a systems approach to these
problems. Exotic pests and diseases will continue to enter the state at an accelerated rate
because of increased international air transport, growing tourism, and immigration from
semitropical and tropical regions where many of California=s crops originate. The Center,
working in collaboration with State and federal governmental agencies, conducts research
to support exclusion and prevention programs and to develop management or eradication
strategies when invasive species are found within the state=s borders. In addition, the Center
is working to recognize emerging threats and training people to meet these challenges. A
systems approach is critical to solving a problem such as Pierce=s disease, because any
solution will affect not only grapes but other crops as well.
7. UNIVERSITY IMPERATIVES FOR THE 21st CENTURY: ATTENDING TO THE
QUALITY OF LIFE THROUGH TECHNOLOGY
The Committee met in the Bourns College of Engineering for a presentation led by Dean
Tripathi. The college consists of the departments of electrical engineering, mechanical
engineering, chemical and environmental engineering, and computer science and
engineering. The college enrolls 950 undergraduate and 85 graduate students and has 37
COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE -7- April 13, 2000
faculty members. The college has an aggressive growth plan, with half of the growth
anticipated to be in computer-related fields.
Dean Tripathi discussed the work of the College of Engineering-Center for Environmental
Research and Technology (CE-CERT), which has become one of the campus= most
prominent resources. It is the largest research organization at UCR, generating
approximately $6 million per year in extramural research support. The mission of the Center
is to pursue basic and applied research on air quality issues by bringing together researchers
from multiple disciplines. The Center will act as a broker which is trusted by the industry,
the government, and the academic community to develop and assess environmental
technologies which will lead to cost-effective air quality and energy policies. CE-CERT is
one of the largest employers of undergraduate students on the campus, with as many as forty
undergraduates working at a time. Major research areas of the Center include transportation
systems, including electrical cars, renewable fuels, and waste management.
Dean Tripathi continued that the mission of the Center for Research in Intelligent Systems
(CRIS) is to perform research on autonomous systems with sensing capabilities. Projects
include work on perception-based intelligent robots and object recognition used for security
systems.
Following a comment by Regent S. Johnson regarding the importance of partnerships,
Professor Joe Norbeck, founding director of CE-CERT, reported that the College had
recognized the need to form alliances with private industry, with government agencies, and
with other universities. CE-CERT has formed a board of advisors to review its research
programs and to recommend future directions.
Regent Lee pointed out that the college has a relatively high student-faculty ratio. Dean
Tripathi explained that for their first two years, undergraduate students take many of their
courses outside the college. Executive Vice Chancellor continued that the goal is to achieve
a student-faculty ratio of 16:1.
Regent-designate Miura raised the issue of technology transfer. Executive Vice Chancellor
Warren reported that plans are under way to hire a technology officer and to establish a
campus office of technology transfer within the next six to eight years.
The Regents took a tour of CRIS and the mechanical shop for the Department of Mechanical
Engineering.
And then the meeting adjourned.
Attest:
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Secretary